This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) on Patent Application No. 1022004 filed in The Netherlands on Nov. 27, 2002, which is herein incorporated by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer provided with a device for dispensing ink pellets of substantially identical shape. The invention also relates to a dispensing device suitable for use in such a printer.
2. Related Art
A printer of this kind is known from EP 1 101 617. The dispensing device in this printer comprises a holder extending vertically to hold round ink pellets. The base of this holder extends to a separating unit for separating the ink pellets one-by-one. This separating unit separates an ink pellet from the supply of ink pellets by making a single separating action. The specific construction of the separating unit is intended to prevent two or more ink pellets from being dispensed simultaneously. However, it is a disadvantage of this known inkjet printer that the separation of the ink pellets is relatively unreliable. Particularly in applications where a high ink demand is required, for example in the printing of full-color posters, this can lead to a situation in which printing must be temporarily interrupted or otherwise print artefacts may form. Another disadvantage of the known dispensing device is that the separating action is accompanied by relatively considerable noise which is a nuisance to the user. A printer of this kind is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,135. The dispensing device of this printer is even less reliable.